Crockpot BBQ Chicken Thighs
This post may contain affiliate links.
Making juicy BBQ chicken is easy and stress-free with this slow cooker chicken thighs recipe! Skip the mess of grilling and make some delicious crockpot BBQ chicken for dinner instead.
My family loves grilled chicken, but grilling is time consuming and messy. The clean up takes way too long! I want to spend as much time with my kids as possible.
If you feel the same way, this crockpot BBQ chicken recipe is sure to become one of your favorite easy chicken meal prep recipes. The barbecue chicken thighs will be tender, juicy, and flavorful every time!
Instant download of our tips to cook the best chicken!
Why This Recipe is a Family Favorite
Slow cooker recipes like this are great for busy days. Being able to dump a few simple ingredients into the crock pot in the morning is such a huge time saver. Honestly, this is completely hands-off cooking at its best!
Crockpot BBQ chicken is great for a simple weeknight meal, but it’s tasty enough to serve to guests, too! When you’re ready to serve, you can shred the meat for sandwiches, serve it over a healthy broccoli bacon salad, or eat the sticky barbeque meat as-is!
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Delicious!! It was a winner for my whole family. Best part was it was EASY for MOMMA!!!
–Kristin
If you need a tried and true crockpot chicken recipe, this one is gonna be your best friend.
Happy Kitchen Secrets
Here are my important mom-tested cooking tips for making crockpot bbq chicken. I’ve tested and made this dinner countless times to save you from a failed attempt.
- This is a bone-in chicken thighs recipe. Boneless pieces will take less time to cook.
- Use an instant-read meat thermometer to test for doneness. Insert the thermometer probe into the thickest portion of the meat, avoiding any bones. To be safe to eat, chicken needs to reach an internal temperature of 165°F.
- For even easier clean up, use a disposable slow cooker liner.
- For crispy skin, place the cooked bbq chicken thighs on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Set it a few inches under an oven broiler for 3-4 minutes. Watch it closely to prevent it from burning.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
To make this recipe, here’s what you’ll need to add to your grocery shopping list:
- chicken thighs: Use bone-in thighs with the skin-on for the most flavor. You can totally substitute boneless chicken thighs or boneless skinless chicken breast if you prefer. Just simply adjust the cook time a bit (the instructions are included below!).
- BBQ sauce: Use any barbecue sauce your family likes, or make my sugar free BBQ sauce recipe.
- onion: The onion adds a bit of flavor, but feel free to skip it if you want or need to.
- seasoning: I use homemade bbq seasoning, but store-bought is fine, too.
Crockpot BBQ Chicken Recipe Variations
To make it this a complete meal, add 1-2 pounds of baby potatoes right into the slow cooker. As long as you avoid overcrowding the slow cooker, you can cook everything at the same time.
Different seasonings: Season up your chicken with anything you want. Onion powder, garlic powder, fresh garlic, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and ranch seasoning are some of my favorite options.
Want to use a different cooking method? I also have recipes for air fryer grilled chicken and baked BBQ chicken thighs.
How to Slow Cook BBQ Chicken Thighs
This is only a summary of the steps. For the full instructions, see the recipe card! ⬇️
Jump to Recipe
- Add the onion, chicken and seasoning to the slow cooker. Pour the barbecue sauce over the chicken thighs.
- Cover the crockpot and cook. I suggest using the Low setting, cooking until the meat is almost falling off of the bones.
Helpful Tip
Not quite ready to serve? You can set the slow cooker to the "Keep Warm" function for up to an hour, until you're ready to eat.
- Optional step for crispy chicken skin: You can use an oven broiler to crisp up the skin. Preheat your broiler and set the bbq chicken thighs on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Place the sheet pan on an oven rack 3-5 inches beneath the broiler for 3-4 minutes. Watch it closely to prevent the skin and/or barbecue sauce from burning.
Storing Leftovers
To store leftover chicken thighs, transfer them to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw before reheating.
To reheat, place pieces on a rimmed sheet pan or in a baking dish. Cook in a 350°F. oven until the chicken reaches a safe internal temperature of 165°F.
Crockpot Chicken Thighs Recipe FAQs
No, because it isn't safe to cook frozen chicken in a crockpot. A slow cooker takes too long to bring frozen meat to a safe cooking temperature, causing harmful bacteria to grow on the meat.
Yes! To make bone-in chicken thighs in an Instant Pot:
1. Add the chicken, bbq sauce, onions, bbq spices, and 1/2 cup of water to your Instant Pot. Lock the lid in place, close the pressure valve, and pressure cook on High power for 15 minutes.
2. Allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes, then open the steam release valve to release any remaining pressure.
Other Easy Slow Cooker Chicken Recipes
After you make it, please leave a comment and star rating below to let me know how it went!
Crockpot BBQ Chicken Thighs
Equipment
Video
Ingredients
- 2 ½ pounds bone-in chicken thighs (about 6 thighs), or 2 pounds boneless thighs
- 1 medium onion peeled and cut into slices or wedges
- 1 tablespoon bbq seasoning
- 1 cup sugar free BBQ sauce or sauce of your choice
Instructions
- Place the sliced onion and chicken thighs in the slow cooker. Sprinkle the chicken with the bbq spices, then spoon the bbq sauce on top. You don’t need to add any additional liquid.
- Close the lid on the slow cooker and cook on High setting for 3.5-4 hours, or Low for 5-6 hours. When it's cooked, the chicken should be tender, almost falling off of the bones, and its internal temperature should be at least 165℉.
- Use a slotted spoon to carefully remove the cooked chicken thighs and serve immediately with some of the liquid and onions from the crock pot spooned on top, if desired.
- Optional Step: For crispy skin, use your oven broiler. Set the chicken thighs on a parchment lined baking sheet, and place it on an oven rack 3-5 inches beneath the broiler. Allow it to crisp up the skin a bit, about 3-4 minutes. Watch carefully to avoid burning.
Notes
- This is a bone-in chicken thighs recipe. Boneless pieces will take less time to cook, about 3 to 3.5 hours on High or 4.5-5 hours on Low.
- Your total cook time may be different. Slow cooking times can vary by make and model.
- Use an instant-read meat thermometer to test for doneness. Insert the thermometer probe into the thickest portion of the meat, avoiding any bones. To be safe to eat, chicken needs to reach an internal temperature of 165°F.
- For even easier clean up, use a disposable slow cooker liner.
Great
Delicious!! It was a winner for my whole family. Best part was it was EASY for MOMMA!!!
Can I mix raw chicken thighs and frozen unbreaded chicken tenders in this slow cooker recipe?
Hi Mary, You can cook different cuts of chicken at the same time, but all the meat should be raw and fully defrosted, and the thighs and breasts should be in approximately the same size pieces. That will ensure everything takes nearly the same time to cook to tender. 🙂 -Laura
Should the onion and baby potatoes go under the thighs? Does it matter?
Wherever you put them is fine, but I usually put them around and on top of the chicken so they get cooked and take on some of the flavor without getting too soggy. Hope that helps! 🙂 -Laura
Can you Brown these first in the frying pan and then do the rest of the recipe
I think that’d work great! You may need to adjust/lower the cooking time in the slow cooker to account for the browning. If you try it, please come back and let us know how it worked out! 🙂 -Laura
Can I use frozen chicken?
Question – with boneless and skinless thighs, still no liquid added to crockpot? Will not be getting fat from skin, etc. thanks.
Hi Lois, you shouldn’t need to add any extra liquid, but feel free to add a little water or chicken broth. 🙂 -Laura
using boneless chicken thighs. how long do i cook?
Hi, I recommend cooking boneless chicken thighs for 3-3.5 hours on high or 4.5-5 hours on low. 🙂 -Laura
I cooked my chicken thighs and drumsticks on low for the recommended time (6-6.5 hours) and I got barbeque flavored sawdust. It was so overcooked, I threw it away.
Hi Laura, thank you for the feedback. This recipe is for bone-in chicken drumsticks. Were you by chance using boneless? They’d cook a whole lot faster. -Laura